The excitement of getting your hands on the latest iPhone model often dies out when you have trouble carrying out even the most basic tasks, like restarting your iPhone or closing all apps.
Even if you do perform a certain function somehow, you still stare aimlessly at the scream trying to remember how you did it in the first place.
So, to ensure that such occasions are few and far between, we’ve put together some tips and tricks on how to use an iPhone, starting with the fundamentals and progressing to more sophisticated functions.
Let’s begin!
The Ins and Outs of Using an iPhone
Swipe up to go home
First and foremost: To return to the home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the phone. It rapidly becomes second nature, but many people who haven’t used an iPhone X or a newer iPhone still have questions about how to accomplish it. To avoid using the multitasking feature, swipe up rapidly.
Swipe up and hold to multitask
You may also switch between open apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Hold for a second instead of swiping up quickly. All of your apps will appear on your iPhone, and you may swipe to switch between them. To close an application, swipe up on it. You can also close all apps at once, here’s how.
Use the side buttons
There are three buttons on your iPhone: volume up and down, as well as a new dedicated key with a few purposes. It’s more than just a power switch. Instead of pressing and holding the home button, you now summon Siri by pressing and holding the button on the right side of the phone. To activate Apple Pay, double-tap the button. To put your iPhone to sleep, press it once.
How to turn on/off the iPhone
Hold the side button and the volume up key together for a couple of seconds to switch the phone on or off. Then you’ll be presented with an option that allows you to turn off your iPhone, access your Medical ID, or call emergency services. To restart your iPhone, press the side button once more. Also, see our detailed guide on how to turn off/restart your iPhone.
Use face ID to unlock
Before unlocking or enabling Apple Pay, older iPhones used your fingerprint to confirm your identity. Face ID is now supported. When you set up your phone for the first time, it registers your face. To validate yourself, simply gaze at your phone when swiping up to unlock it or authenticating Apple Pay. You might not even notice the Face ID scan is taking place because it is so quick. Know how to set it up here.
Use iPhone widgets
Widgets have been around for a while in iOS, and they’re great for checking the weather, tracking Amazon deliveries, controlling your lighting, and more. To see them, swipe right across the home screen. To add widgets, scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Edit,” or refer to the widgets guide for more information.
Control center
Control Center is an iOS feature that allows you to rapidly adjust the screen brightness, turn on or off Wi-Fi, and access the flashlight. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen on older iPhones brought up the Control Center. To bring it up, swipe from the top-right corner. Go to settings > control center on your iPhone to fully configure it, or follow this guide to managing Control Center.
How to view iPhone notifications
Swipe down from the top of the screen to see all of your iPhone notifications; don’t swipe from the top right to launch the Control Center. If your iPhone is locked, swipe up from the middle of the screen to see your notifications. Also, know how to dismiss, clear, and manage the notifications on your iPhone.
How to record iPhone screen
Built-in controls for capturing what’s on your iPhone screen are included in iOS 14. It’s simply a video version of a screenshot. If you know how to record your screen, it’s a great way to obtain troubleshooting support while you’re not in the same room as someone. Don’t know how to do it? Go through the detailed guide showing how to screen record on your iPhone.
How to take a screenshot
Taking a screenshot appears to be a simple task, right? However, the procedure varies depending on which iPhone you’re using.
Choose one of the following options:
- iPhone with Face ID: Press and release the side and volume up buttons at the same time.
- iPhone with Home button: Simultaneously press and release the Home button and the side button or Sleep/Wake button.
You can see it in the Photos app. To know how to take a screenshot on an iPhone 12, see here.
View battery percentage
On one of Apple’s latest iPhones, figuring out how much battery life you have left can be difficult. However, you can see it at a glance in the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the display. You can also swipe across the screen and see it in the widgets section.
Also, learn some other ways to see battery percentage and how to add a battery widget to your iPhone screen, here.
How to delete apps
When an app reaches the end of its usefulness, it is no longer helpful. We’ll show you how to get rid of apps that are taking up space on your phone. Here’s how to delete apps on iPhone:
- Touch and hold the app.
- Remove the app by tapping on it.
- Tap Delete App, then confirm by tapping Delete again.
Create your Memoji
You can now create a bespoke digital version of yourself if you have a device with a Face ID. Because you can record voice and use the Memoji to replicate your facial expressions before sharing a clip to a friend over iMessage, it’s a lot of fun.
Here’s how to create your Memoji:
- Open iMessage.
- At the bottom of the screen, tap the Monkey icon.
- Tap the + button on the left after scrolling.
- Make a satirical caricature of yourself.
- You’ll now see your unique Memoji whenever you tap the Monkey icon, which you may share with others.
Set time limits for apps via screen time
You can now set a time limit for how long you use particular apps in iOS thanks to this feature. If you fear you spend too much time on Facebook at work, for example, you can establish a limit of no more than two hours per day on Facebook (or any time limit of your choosing). This holds for a wide range of topics, not only social networking.
Here’s how to make the most of Screen Time:
- Open the Settings.
- Select Screen Time.
- Choose “App Limits”.
- Select “Add Limit” from the menu.
- Select a category, such as Games or Social Media.
- Activate the “Add” button.
- Choose how long you want the time limit to be in effect.
See how much time you spend using a certain app
This is a feature of Screen Time that allows you to see how much time you spend on various apps. To do so, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings menu.
- Select “Screen Time.”
- Tap the iPhone icon at the top of the page.
- Scroll down the page to find what apps you use the most every day.
- To check the apps you used in the previous week, go to the “Last 7 Days” option at the top of the page.
Siri shortcuts
Siri received a boost with Siri Shortcuts in iOS 12, which allows it to access third-party apps. For example, you can use TripIt to inquire about forthcoming travels or to do a series of activities, such as automatically opening Maps with a route to work and your favorite morning soundtrack.
Here’s how to get going:
- From the App Store, get the Shortcuts app.
- Open Shortcuts.
- Select “Create Shortcut”.
- Select a preset from the drop-down menu. “Get Current Song” is a good place to start.
- Allow access to your music library by tapping “Allow Access.”
- Select “OK.”
- On the upper right of the app, tap the blue and white icon.
- Give the shortcut a name. You can simply use the general “Get current song” command.
- Select “Done.”
- Tap “Done” once more.
When you say, “Siri, get the current song,” it will detect the music and tell you what song is playing.
Use a virtual tape measure
Apple’s new Measure app lets you measure things on the fly using augmented reality. It isn’t always as exact as a tape measure and can be glitchy, but it’s adequate for a ballpark estimate.
Here’s how to put it to use:
- On your iPhone, open the Measure app.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to learn how to scan the room.
- Tap the Plus button after pointing to the circle in the location you’d like to start measuring from.
- Now select your destination and press the Plus button once again.
- Measurement will be given to you.
- To store the measurement in your notepad, simply tap it.
See a detailed guide here.
Silence your iPhone via downtime
Apple’s iOS already has a “Do Not Disturb” setting, but Screen Time now includes a more in-depth “Downtime” option. It’s ideal for the night, as it restricts which applications may send you notifications and who can contact you. Here’s how to put it to use:
- Open the Settings menu.
- Select Screen Time.
- Tap Downtime.
- Set time limitations for yourself. For instance, 10 p.m. until 6 a.m.
- Return to the Screen Time section.
- Select “Always allowed.”
Even during Downtime hours, tap the green Plus icon next to each app you want to receive notifications from.
Explore new camera effects
You can now doodle on photos taken directly from the iMessage app, add stickers, and more. Here’s how to a send message with camera effects:
- Launch iMessage.
- On the lower left, tap the Camera button.
- Now, tap the star icon.
- Add text, stickers, filters, and more by scrolling through the bottom menu.
- Snap your picture and share it with your friends.
Change the blur on a portrait picture
You can now modify the bokeh, or background blur after you’ve taken a Portrait photo on an iPhone X or later models. It allows you to control the strength of the effect, making your photos look much more professional.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Use the camera app to take a portrait photo. (Open the camera and select Portrait mode).
- Now open the image.
- Select “Edit.”
- Scroll with the “Depth” bar located just to the left of the camera.
- You’ll be able to see how the blur changes in real-time.
- To save, tap “Done.”
Besides, you can also remove the portrait mode effect from your photo if you wish. See how to do it, here.
Summing Up
If you recently shifted from Android to iPhone or upgraded to a newer iPhone model, this is the ultimate guide to get you started. It has all the necessary tips and tricks on how to use an iPhone and make the most out of your device. For additional information, head over to our blog.
